Help How are Psychiatrists?

[ikiruNObungaku]

Hello. I would like to know, how do psychiatrists differ from therapist and psychologists? When I was very young, I was assigned a psychologist. Older, I was then assigned a therapist. Neither seemed to really work for me. I think I am more logistical than emotional, so it was hard for me to answer questions based on feelings. I have a hard time understanding questions if asked about my feelings for something, it is better for me to explain a situation and then for someone to make an observation. But recently, I have been told to try and go to a psychiatrist. I would like to try this and see if there can be improvements for me, but how much are psychiatrists different from therapists and psychologists? I know I can look up the answer, but I would be happier if I had the account of people with experience.

 

[whywere]

From what I know, psychiatrists can prescribe meds, where psychologists are more along the lines of talk therapy.

Whenever I went to a psychiatrist and asked questions, I was shut down on the spot, as they prescribe meds only, this is what they would tell me and questions went to psychologist.

Remember one time when on a first visit, I asked a psychiatrist a mental health question and she said to talk to a psychologist about it.

Walter

 

[Forever Sleep]

From what I know, psychiatrists can prescribe meds, where psychologists are more along the lines of talk therapy.

Whenever I went to a psychiatrist and asked questions, I was shut down on the spot, as they prescribe meds only, this is what they would tell me and questions went to psychologist.

Remember one time when on a first visit, I asked a psychiatrist a mental health question and she said to talk to a psychologist about it.

Walter

That's what I understood also- that they were more about prescribing medication. But then- how do they diagnose without analysing a person, asking questions about their symptoms and how they see the world? So they can best decide what's 'wrong' with them? Do they maybe work in tandem with therapists/ psychologists?

I also wonder how long they need to decide what a person is likely suffering from and what drugs might help that.

Sorry OP- I don't have personal experience but, I'm curious too.

 

[sanctionedusage]

Walter's right

They're also typically unknowledgeable, specialize in nothing in the vast range of mental disorders and illnesses, and make up arbitrary distinctions or offer none at all, since most people don't know enough about the pseudoscience of psychiatry to question the distinctions in the first place. They follow checklists and charts and have little to no concept of nuance, and don't care about the safety or risks of their medications and what it means if they prescribe you something you didn't need. People have had their lives ruined by being prescribed SSRIs when they actually had bipolar type I or II, or being prescribed antipsychotics when they were mentally healthy.

If you go to a psychiatrist, you need to be educated and steer the conversation yourself, question everything, and research the effects in the best case & worst case scenario, weighing in with the likelihood of each.

Psychiatrists make their money off people who thirst for labels from someone who doesn't know what they're talking about. The ONLY thing you should be after is a specific class of medication, and don't take anything you haven't heard of without researching it yourself.

 

[nitrogenous]

These are my experience so please take it with a grain of salt :)

In my area, psychiatrists are the one with legal rights to dispense medications (along with GP's to some extent depending on where you are). Psychologists on the other hand, do not have the qualification to do so as they do not undergo medical school. In regards to diagnoses, I am not too sure whether general psychologists can diagnose without a psychiatrist, but for me personally all my diagnoses came from my psychiatrist with the exception of my ADHD as that was diagnosed by a specialised clinical psychologist whom I have only seen twice (one for the intake session which lasts 4 hours ish and the outcome session).

Psychologists tend to focus on your feelings and how that interacts with how you feel/act. They might utilise a number of techniques such as DBT/ACT/CBT and so many more to help challenge cognitive distortions. Psychiatrists on the other hand usually approach the problem from a biomedical perspective, using medications that act on the brain (for example SSRIs,SNRIs, etc). I find that a combination of both is usually the go to.

As of now, I am unfortunately unable to continue with both therapy and psychiatrists due to my adverse experience with them (but I do believe in medications and therapy, it's just that I haven't found the right support). I am definitely hoping to find the right fit in the future though, a team of people with true compassion and care…

 

[Frxtagooox]

asHello. I would like to know, how do psychiatrists differ from therapist and psychologists? When I was very young, I was assigned a psychologist. Older, I was then assigned a therapist. Neither seemed to really work for me. I think I am more logistical than emotional, so it was hard for me to answer questions based on feelings. I have a hard time understanding questions if asked about my feelings for something, it is better for me to explain a situation and then for someone to make an observation. But recently, I have been told to try and go to a psychiatrist. I would like to try this and see if there can be improvements for me, but how much are psychiatrists different from therapists and psychologists? I know I can look up the answer, but I would be happier if I had the account of people with experience.

usually therapist as in the alternate name of psychiatrist would prescribe you some meds regarding your diagnosis. and psychologist would just talk to you to find the problem and clear it and not giving you the meds.

 

[daruino]

Same thing as what the others have described. I maybe had 2 actual conversations (45+ min) with my psychiatrist, and she did ask about my feelings , but eventually the only purpose of talking to a psychiatrist is to see if medication is an option. After that, it is way shorter conversations, often phone calls, to check how it is going with side effects and practical things (upping my dosage, needing new prescription to be sent, pharmacy not getting said prescription etc). They are not there to talk about your life- though I get the impression that that is something you might want- just not in the way psychologists usually do.

 

[lachrymost]

I suspect a lot of people go to psychiatrists expecting that the psychiatrist will make a judgment as to whether or not they should try medication after carefully reviewing their situation. I like to caution that psychiatrists almost never suggest you shouldn't try medication. For that to happen you'd have to have very minimal problems that haven't been going on for very long. They are decidedly the pill-pushers.

 

[mokoi-degen]

Hello. I would like to know, how do psychiatrists differ from therapist and psychologists? When I was very young, I was assigned a psychologist. Older, I was then assigned a therapist. Neither seemed to really work for me. I think I am more logistical than emotional, so it was hard for me to answer questions based on feelings. I have a hard time understanding questions if asked about my feelings for something, it is better for me to explain a situation and then for someone to make an observation. But recently, I have been told to try and go to a psychiatrist. I would like to try this and see if there can be improvements for me, but how much are psychiatrists different from therapists and psychologists? I know I can look up the answer, but I would be happier if I had the account of people with experience.

Psychologists can't give you medication, and they do more therapy. Psychiatrists study medicine and can prescribe you medication and diagnose you with mental illnesses. Therapists can have both psychology and psychiatry credentials. So if you want meds you go to a psychiatrist and if you want help go to a therapist.

 

[ikiruNObungaku]

Thank you all for your comments, I feel skeptical on trying this now. I was hoping that the primary usage of a psychiatrist would be to diagnose me with a mental illness, if I have any. However, if they are mostly trying to prescribe pills, I am not sure if I want to try it then.

 

[Star67]

Psychiatrists are doctors. They're able to prescribe meds and generally approach things from a scientific viewpoint. They generally have much more schooling (albeit different) than therapists. Therapists help you work through your feelings by talking about and through them. Psychiatrists can briefly talk through feelings but their solution is generally external e.g. meds, tms, ect whereas therapy focuses on healing things internally. That's my understanding of it anyways

Thank you all for your comments, I feel skeptical on trying this now. I was hoping that the primary usage of a psychiatrist would be to diagnose me with a mental illness, if I have any. However, if they are mostly trying to prescribe pills, I am not sure if I want to try it then.

A psychiatrist is who would officially diagnose you

 

[SchizoPolyGymnast]

Psychiatrists are doctors. They're able to prescribe meds and generally approach things from a scientific viewpoint. They generally have much more schooling (albeit different) than therapists. Therapists help you work through your feelings by talking about and through them. Psychiatrists can briefly talk through feelings but their solution is generally external e.g. meds, tms, ect whereas therapy focuses on healing things internally. That's my understanding of it anyways

A psychiatrist is who would officially diagnose you

Psychiatrists can also offer dietary guidance and order blood work and other tests.

 

[LittleJem]

Thank you all for your comments, I feel skeptical on trying this now. I was hoping that the primary usage of a psychiatrist would be to diagnose me with a mental illness, if I have any. However, if they are mostly trying to prescribe pills, I am not sure if I want to try it then.

They will probably give you a diagnosis, and if you are lucky, the pills can help you. A peecentage of people are lucky on pills, so it is worth trying IMO.

 

[paradoxperception]

Thank you all for your comments, I feel skeptical on trying this now. I was hoping that the primary usage of a psychiatrist would be to diagnose me with a mental illness, if I have any. However, if they are mostly trying to prescribe pills, I am not sure if I want to try it then.

You can get a diagnosis from them, but my psychologist has also diagnosed me. Though, I'm not sure if it's 'official'. If you want a diagnosis, a psychiatrist can help you there - but like many said most are pill-pushers. However, mine now is very great. She is a NP and I feel she is more receptive to not just prescribing me pills (like other MDs), but listens to everything I have to say.

 

[siouxsie]

It depends on where you are.
In Germany psychiatrists can and do provide meds AND psychotherapy.

 

[persistentheartache]

Thank you all for your comments, I feel skeptical on trying this now. I was hoping that the primary usage of a psychiatrist would be to diagnose me with a mental illness, if I have any. However, if they are mostly trying to prescribe pills, I am not sure if I want to try it then.

tl;dr see a psychiatrist if you can, they don't (or shouldn't) prescribe anything without some kind of diagnosis. even if it's informal. advocate for yourself about what you're looking for if/when you see one.

They can be a mixed bag. I've had helpful and even cool psychiatrists but I've also had shitty ones. I wouldn't say that they are just pill pushers, although I have had that experience before. If you are able to see a psychiatrist at relatively low cost, I think it would be helpful to get a better idea of what you're struggling with. You aren't obligated to follow through on any treatment they suggest. So if you are hesitant about seeing one because you don't want to take medication, you don't have to.

As many have said, the main way that they help is with a diagnosis and other treatment options. Often times it's medication but it can also be prescribing/suggesting therapy and other things that would help. I think it's helpful to get a better idea of what you're dealing with. Understanding your condition is an important part of recovery. It makes it easier to find resources that could actually help as well as identifying where you need help.

Depending on what you're dealing with, a therapist can be really helpful if you find someone who can help you. I think it's common to have to try multiple before you find one that can actually help. There's a thread on here about how to do therapy productively as well. cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the most common modality I've seen. It is evidence based. I didn't really care for it until I found a therapist I liked who had an actual plan for treating me. I dislike when therapy is just talking about your feelings or receiving validation. you don't need a therapist for that.

I'm pretty sure psychologists are more involved with the study and research of psychology. I've heard that they can provide therapy and diagnoses as well. personally, I'm not sure why you wouldn't go to a psychiatrist and psychotherapist respectively for those things. I don't know, personally. I studied psychology so I always saw them as researchers or professors not necessarily involved with mental health.

If you don't seek help, you won't get help. so if it's something you want, I think you should try to see one if you are able. Trust your gut. if you feel like things aren't really helping you, advocate for yourself. find someone new, try something new, etc... that goes a long way.